Sunshine in the Rain
by Shewhogazesatthestars
Summary: "The way I see it, if you want a rainbow, you've got to deal with the rain, too." A story primarily featuring everyone's favorite Hoenn Region Coordinator and his teacher. Told in drabbles of 100-1000 words each, each beginning with its own singular title, inspired by the fitting muses of elegance and dignity. Warning : Originshipping and another pairing in later chapters.
1. 1

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

It had been a simple mistake, really.

Father had decided to take he and mother to the mountains. It was going to be such a beautiful trip; the mountains were covered in blankets upon blankets of snow and ice, perfect for making snowmen, snowangels, igloos, and having snowball fights. The trip was to last at least several days, perhaps even a week, depending on the weather; which, upon their arrival, seemed to perfect, it was out of a fairytale book or fantasy movie.

So entranced with their perfect day in the wonderful snow that neither adult kept a stern eye upon the dark clouds gathering above their heads, the angry billowing of the wind, and the myriad of other warning signs that were ignored.

And when they did, it was far too late.

 **"You have to keep warm. Here, take my jacket, dear..."**  
 _"...Don't close yours eyes. Keep them open, son. Keep them open."_

Mother and Father had been adamant, that he kept his eyes open. He did, as best as he can, despite the fact that he was so very cold and just wanted to sleep.

When he was finally rescued by a team of Trainers sent into the perilous mountains following the snowstorm, they said that it was a tragedy. That it was a shame that his parents had to go like that, leaving him all alone.

They all said that it had been a simple mistake.

But it was that simple mistake that changed his life forever.


	2. 2

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

His favorite place in the orphanage was the top left corner of the playroom that was the main room of the building. It was a fairly big place, and so it was the least likely place that he would be noticed by anyone. He didn't like being noticed, especially by the older kids. They weren't too nice to him- in fact, not too many people were nice to him since the accident on that snowy mountain a year ago now.

And he heard what they said about him, when they thought he wasn't listening. He heard them whispering, heard them all whispering about him. About what they thought.

 **"If you ask me, that boy was better off dead."**  
 _"Tell me about it. He's a pain in the ass."_  
 **"All that special needs crap he has..."**

At just eight years old, he knew that they were talking about him, and after hearing it so many times since his parents died, somewhere deep inside of him, he began to believe. He began to believe in what they said about him.

Stupid. Better off dead. Retarded. Weak. Worthless. Not worth any time.

Why wouldn't he believe in what they said about hiim? Those words and so much more were beaten into him on a daily basis, by the older kids in the orphanage and by his caretakers, too.

After all, there was nobody ever there to tell him that they were wong, so they had to be right.

...Right?


	3. 3

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

 **"Right this way, Master Juan."**  
 _"Thank you."_

The current reigning Champion, a Master of Water Pokemon, stepped through the doorway of the Lilycove Orphanage For Boys, a skeptical look in his dark eyes as he looked over the building, inspecting it as he inspected the uncaring matrons of the place.

It looked okay, compared to some of the other orphanages he had seen, but it was nothing so special; not that he had expected too much of the place, anyway.

He was quickly led to an observation room; the prospective children could be watched undetected from a large window- in other words, he could see and watch everything that occured in that playroom, but the children inside could not see him.

There were about twenty boys in the orphanage, ranging from five to fifteen years of age. They were all wards of the region, homeless boys that had been picked up by the system for one reason or another, and ended up here.

 **"Master Juan, may I enquire just to what end you wish to adopt one of our boys?"**

The question wasn't answered easily or simply; it was a long, convoluted story that involved a drunken man, a Dragon Master, a sickness, and a few other odds and ends- and so the Champion of the Hoenn Region condensed it in the shortest, curtest way possible.

 _"I'm looking for a student."_

He was answered by a laugh and a clap on his back, and words that, by now, he was very well used to hearing at this point in his exhausting and very long-lasting search.

 **"You're not going to find that here."**


	4. 4

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

 **"Aw, are you gonna cry now? Huh? Come on, cry!"**

These days were always the worst for him. The days where the older boys would harass him for what felt like hours and hours on end. They wouldn't let him do anything other than lay at their feet, gasping for air, and it certainly said something that he would prefer these beatings, rather than what the staff would otherwise do to him unsupervised and behind closed doors.

He always prefered the beatings to that.

But it didn't matter what he preferred, anyway. These days always climaxed in that particular torment, one what would haunt his life forever.

 **"C'mon, shorty! Cry!"**

And when he finally did cry, they would only compound his pain and humiliation further by pressing his face into the dirt and continuing their fun with him.

 **"Let's hear you beg, then! C'mon! Beg! We'll let you go if you beg, shorty!"**

It amused them, he guessed. It amused them to see him so desperate and broken. It was that part he hated the most, though- not the beatings, not the pain, not the humiliation- but each and every time, after all of those things became unbearable and too much to take, he'd always let those words slip out of his bloody and beaten lips-

 _"Stop. Please. Just stop; it hurts too much... Please, stop!"_

After they'd heard enough, they would just continue, breaking their promise to stop and continuing their game. He was sure they were going to kill him soon enough; they'd kill him, and who knows what would happen to them after that. But at least, at the very least, he'd be free.

Because he knew that's what it would take to get them to stop touching him. Because they knew that nobody cared enough about him or his pain to interfere.

And so did he.


	5. 5

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

Juan had noticed the blue-haired boy on the second day that he visited the orphanage. He was about ready to give up in his quest to find a suitable student for himself; after all, no child he had met thus far even came close to the standard he had set for them.

They weren't strong enough. They weren't intelligent enough- and they simply weren't beautiful enough to give him much interest in teaching them all he knew, to build them from the ground upwards to the likes of a man that Hoenn had never seen before.

He was about to leave the orphanage for good and never return when he caught sight of the peculiar blue-haired boy.

He was curled up on himself, clutching his knees to his chest like a lifeline. His thin, milky-white arms were splotched with angry reds, miserable blues, and violent purples; there wasn't an inch of him that wasn't inked with such awful, painful colors.

 _"Who is he- that kid, there?"_

The Hoenn Champion caught the attention of one of the orphanage matrons and pointed out the small boy. He didn't miss the immediate distaste that crossed their face and answered in an icy, very disinterested kind of voice.

 **"That's just Wally. He doesn't mean much here, he's nothing. He's just a retard nobody wants- he's not worth your time, Master Juan."**

Despite their coaxing, he just couldn't look away. That blue-haired boy called Wally simply captivated him.

It wasn't until years and years later that Juan realized why.


	6. 6

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

His past had left him with three fears that nobody around him cared enough to understand.

The first fear was simple enough; he was afraid of water. Hydrophobic was the proper term for people like him- and considering his past with water and its' frozen counterpart, it was not surprising. The only time this fear came to light, however, was when the attendants of the orphanage collected him for bathing time. They didn't care to understand why he was afraid, they simply held him down, washed him, and pushed him away again- always with more bruises than they had taken him in with.

His second fear was a bit stranger, though not completely unheard of in his world; Pokephobia, the fear of Pokemon. This was one of the main reasons his peers, who dreamed of fame and fortune as Masters, treated him as they did; they thought his fear stupid, and therefore, naturally, they thought him stupid. It wasn't an entirely uncommon thing- and so when whose older kids approached him with taunting remarks, insults, and fists, he didn't blame them for what they did to him.

He simply blamed himself.

But then, his final fear was something else entirely.

It was this fear, not the hydrophobia, which tormented him occasionally, or the Pokephobia, that hurt him in several different ways daily, that kept him awake and restless and terrified during the long nights spent alone in an itchy, cheap cot.

It was the simple fear that this was all his life would amount to that terrified him.


	7. 7

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

A little-known fact about the currently reigning Champion of the Hoenn Region is that he hated seeing children hurting or hurt. Call it a pet-peeve, call it a ghost from his own dark past, call it whatever you would like- he simply hated it with an icy, burning passion from the bottom of his heart.

The blue-haired boy was no exception to his rule, no matter what the orphanage staff told him; it didn't matter to him that he wasn't the strongest of the bunch, it meant nothing to him that he wasn't the brightest bulb in the lamp, was little care to him that he wasn't the most beautiful pony in the stadium- that boy had not a soul in the world who minded him, cared for him.

And nobody, but nobody, deserved a beating like that one, that left him unable to stand and move around for hours and hours afterward, that left him little more than a small, sobbing, quivering mass of bruises, welts, and cuts on the cold ground.

No, nobody deserved that much- much less an eight-year-old boy whose only crime was being a bit different than the rest.

Juan stepped in. He sent those crueler, bigger, older kids away with a wave of his cape and a bellow from his most trusted ally, and his oldest friend and partner, Walrein, before returning the great blue behemoth Pokemon back into its Pokeball and approaching the tiny boy and kneeling right there beside him.

A flash of deep, sea-blue eyes that, though filled with tears and edged with bruises, filled his chest with some sort of knowledge that he had found what he was looking for, after all.

 **"Wally, was it?"**

The blue-haired boy looked up at him and watched him warily and protectively from his hunched-over position on the ground. His eyes were so very beautiful- the hue of the sea.

 _"Wallace."_

That answer, so strong and sure, took the Hoenn Champion by surprise. And he responded, so very gently as not to startle the hurt boy...

 **"Is that your name?"**

He received a very faint, very pained smile. Acknowledgement- the fact that he was being acknowledged, for the first time in ages, had brought that smile to his cut lips.

 _"My name is Wallace- not Wally. I'm Wallace."_

And that was when Juan knew.

This was the boy he had been looking for all this time. This was a boy who could be the strongest, this was a boy who could be the brightest, this was the boy could be the most beautiful of all.

And, most importantly: this was the boy who deserved it the most.


	8. 8

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

 **"I'm Juan. Wallace... How's about I help you stand up, and we can get out of this place?"**

The boy had taken his hand and, leaning heavily on the Master, they had left the Lilycove Orphanage For Boys behind for good- just a month or two later, the building would be permanantly closed and bought out by some huge company called Devon, and destroyed, rebuilt, and turned into an enormous department store that, for enitrely different reasons, neither Wallace nor Juan would ever in their lifetimes visit.

Wallace, covered with Juan's white cloak and carried on Juan's strong back so as not to draw attention to either of them, hurried to the residence in which Juan was staying, a small, no-name hotel. Juan let the boy down, turned around to shut the door behind him, and returned to the boy immediately running into the restroom and throwing up.

He was bedridden for several days following his adoption from the orphanage.

During that time, Juan never left his side. He provided water, food, and much needed company for the wounded and quiet boy he had rescued.

One night, the Master had attempted to touch Wallace, whether in comfort or to check his injuries, neither could remember- but he had, and suddenly, Juan was on the ground with a burning around his right eye and Wallace hidden somewhere in the room.

The Master found him hiding under the kitchenette sink about three minutes later- it wasn't that good a hiding spot, and the quivering of the wood gave it away.

 **"Wallace... I know you're in there. Are you alright?"**

A hysterical sob from the wooded cabinet.

 **"That's a no. Look- I'm not angry that you caught my eye. I'm more worried about those injuries of yours. You shouldn't be up right now; you need to be resting, so that you can heal. I'm not going to force you out of that cabinet; I'll wait right here, if you want to talk or want help out of it."**

He waited for at least an hour before he heard a squeaking of wood and saw a flash of sea-blue eyes and blue hair.

 _"...D-didn't... Mean to. Your eye."_

Juan didn't dare move, not wishing to frighten Wallace back into hiding.

 **"It's alright, kid. You okay? I know you're scared and I don't blame you for that. They roughed you up pretty badly in that orphanage. I'll help you heal. I swear I will, Wallace- but you've got to meet me halfway. You've got to try to trust me. Otherwise, I can only do so much for you."**

Wallace took a shaky breath and continued to gaze up at him with frightened sea-blue eyes.

It took another two hours for him to come out of the closet, and that was only because Juan coaxed him out with the promise of food.

When the boy was back in bed and unconscious from the medicine that he had administered but moments before, the Master couldn't help but sigh a soft little sigh.

 **"We have a long way to go, don't we, kiddo?... But don't you worry. I'll be here for you. Just like someone was once, for me... I'll be here. I swear it."**


	9. 9

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

He carried the scent of blood, dirt, and hurt- three scents that Juan didn't really much care for, and he knew, should he leave Wallace in that bedraggled state really any longer, the smell of him would be enough to have the manager of the hotel would throw them both out on their behinds and call the police for good measure.

Wallace needed to shower- or at the very least, bathe. So, the third evening after they had left the orphanage behind, Juan sat down next to the healing, blue-haired boy, and, very carefully, very gently, explained the situation to him.

 **"Look, kid. I know you've dealt with a lot of a bad people, alright? I understand that- more than you know, I understand. But there's somethings you can't avoid in this life just because you're afraid; and one of them is water. More to the point... Showers. At the very least, baths. Because, kid, I know you're probably used to it- and that's a sad, sad thing- but you smell. Bad."**

By the end of his speech, Juan was smiling faintly- fondly- and Wallace had sat up, looking nervous but at least not completely against complying. It must have been the smile. Not many had smiled at him lately. It might have disarmed him. Very slightly, but it had.

He was frowning slightly as he processed what Juan was saying.

 _"I... Smell?"_

His head was tilted, and he'd risen his arm, as if to smell it. Juan gave a nod of his head, and so Wallace nodded, and soon enough, to the Master's surprise, Juan and his blue-haired charge were standing in the small restroom. The boy had looked up at him, still nervous.

 **"Are you... Going to- watch me? The... Caretakers, from the orphanage. They used to. And- if... If I took too long, they'd..."**

Juan was watching quietly, listening, with his stomach churning in discomfort, as the boy spoke softly and timidly. His concerns were very valid, as Juan couldn't in good heart leave the injured boy to himself in a body of water, which he was obviously very afraid of.

 **"I'm going to stay here,"** Was his firm answer, when it became clear that Wallace wasn't going to continue speaking, **"But I won't be touching you, unless you want my help to wash. Otherwise... I'll just be sitting right here. I can't leave you in here alone, not in your state of health. Do you understand? More to the point... Can you trust me for a minute or two to help you?"**

Wallace bit his lip. He looked between Juan, the bathtub, and the door. He was in quite the delicate position, and the Master understood that. So he was patient and waited for the boy to deliberate with himself.

His answer was yet another surprise for the Master.


	10. 10

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

The bath was very warm when Juan coaxed Wallace into it. Hesitantly, the boy entered, shivering despite the warmth- but out of fear and not cold. One day, and Juan hoped that it would be sooner rather than later, he hoped that his blue-haired boy, destined for greatness, would be able to do something, anything, without that shine of fear in his sea-blue eyes.

 _"It's warm,"_ Was his judgement, a mere whisper later, _"It's really warm. The water at the orphanage was always so cold. But this water is really warm... T-thank you, Juan."_

It was just heated water, but then again, this was a boy who had nothing. The smallest of things meant the world to him, Juan was quickly learning. It took so very little to please him. So very little to make that light-up-the-whole smile, if only for half a moment.

That was also the most he had ever heard Wallace speak, too. It made that clenched gut of his unwind just a little bit.

 **"I have clothes for you, for after, that'll fit you,"** Was his kind response, **"But that's for later. Come on, kid. Let's get you washed up, alright?"**

A nod from the blue-haired boy, and he took a small, soft sponge from Juan and began to wash his arms. It was only a few moments later, though, that he stopped, breathing weakly. Juan immediately came to his aid.

 **"What the matter, eh, Wallace?"**

The reply came in a frightened whisper.

 _"It hurts too much. I can't."_

Before Juan could reply, a small whine came from behind him, and up came his Walrein, who had been allowed out of his Pokeball a few hours previously to stretch himself and retrieve food. The blue-behemoth Pokemon tilted its head curiously at Wallace, who had flinched away from him.

Taking the sponge away from the frightened boy, he glanced at his partner Pokemon.

 **"He won't hurt you. This here's Walrein- also known as Blotch. He's my oldest friend, since before you were born and I was but a child. He's a light-hearted creature, and very soft. Go on, give him a pat on the head; he's not about to bite you."**

Wallace, biting his lip, outstretched his hands and buried them in Walrein's mane, too short to reach his head while sitting in the bathtub. Properly distracted while his partner entertained him, Juan made quick work of the dirt, blood, and grime that covered his charge.

When they were finished, Juan carefully helped the boy out of the bath and drained the murky water down the train while Wallace dried himself and snuggled into the soft towel he had been given. He was watching Juan closely when he turned around.

The Master saw something in the boy's eyes for just a moment, before he looked away.

 **"What is it?"** Juan asked, curiously.

The boy didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Not just then.

Not when Juan had seen the beginnings of what just might be trust there, behind guarded sea-blue eyes.


	11. 11

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

His sea-blue eyes were a bit brighter than usual, when he spoke up.

 _"Sootopolis?"_

It was a grand city, built on the soft, off-white crags of a volcano that was once the battlegrounds of an ancient feud between two, super-rare, super-ancient Pokemon. It had an immense cave system, both above and under the waters on which it arose from the depths. Somewhere in these caves, rested a monument to the history of the birth of the volcano, and it was that cave that the Gym Leader of the city, an elder, was sworn to protect.

 **"And that's where home is, for us,"** Juan explained to the boy, as they rested for the night inside another small room inside a boat, that was taking them there. **"It's the perfect spot for a boy like you to grow, I think- not too many people, surrounded in life and love; the sea. A beautiful place. I think you'll come to love it, Wallace. I really do."**

Neither of them knew it quite just yet, but Juan was so very right, in the end.

In fact, he was right about a lot of things, not that either of them knew that just yet.


	12. 12

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

Juan's home, settled at the top-most, reachable white-marble crags of Sootopolis, was a quaint and snug, out-of-the way kind of place. There were many different, small berry bushes surrounding the baby-blue painted house, preyed upon every day by the passing Pokemon and Trainer alike. There was also a small shack in the back, which housed gardening tools, old boxes that hadn't fit in his house.

Inside, the house was painted white, with dark wooden floors spread across its two floors. There were two restrooms and three bedrooms; one of them was Juan's, of course, and another was used for Juan's study. The other was given to Wallace.

 **"I'm not about to hear any more argument about it,"** Juan told the boy, firmly, who had attempted to assure him that the couch in the living room would be fine, **"I've got the room and you're going to take it, as long as you live under my roof. Heavens, boy- you'd think you were some sort of pet rather than my adopted kid."**

And that had silenced Wallace.

The room was small, quaint, painted white. The bed was soft, there was a small closet for his things, and drawers besides. There was also a window looking over the entire city. As Wallace took it all in, he could hear Juan behind him, either beating back dust- for the whole room was dusty, as if it had never been used- and he turned.

 _"Thank you,"_ Said he, and the older man paused to settle gentle, cobalt eyes on him. _"It's really nice. You didn't have to do all this. So thank you."_

 **"It's not a problem,"** Juan answered, with a chuckle. Glancing about the empty room, he rose his eyebrows. **"I signed up for this, after all. Now, if you need or want anything, tell me, alright? We'll see what we can do about it. Sootopolis hasn't got any fancy department store, but I can always order things over the net from wherever. And we'll go get you actual clothes and furniture sometime this week, too. Can't have you running around in the same clothes all day every day, can we? And the room's kind of drab, too- "**

He was interrupted by small body running into him, and he took a step back- only to look down and realize that Wallace had ran up to him and hugged him. He was barely half his size; for a nine-year-old, that was concerning, as Juan himself was just under six feet himself.

But he wasn't thinking about that just now. Instead, he returned Wallace's embrace, chuckling under his breath again.

 **"Yeah,"** He says, **"I know. It's alright. It's a lot to take in. You'll get used to being treated nicely in time, I know you will- just like I did way back then. It'll be alright. You'll see."**

When Wallace looked up at him again with sea-blue eyes, the older man knew that the small boy had finally believed him.


	13. 13

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

Sootopolis was a magnificent city, and Wallace found he didn't much mind the water, because, aside from albeit frequently accompanying Juan to the lake that took much of the center of the city, he wasn't required to go near it, preferring instead to sit in the shade with one of the many books Juan had stored in his home. He was still very much afraid of the water, after all.

That is, he was, until he met his first friend.

His friend had very rough skin, that hurt to stroke. It had wide eyes and was a muddy color, and blue, thin, weak fins that slowly drifted it to shore one day, injured and near starving condition. Wallace had been quick to bring the Pokemon to Juan's attention.

 **"It's called Feebas,"** Juan explained to him, once Feebas had been situated, **"It's not much common around these parts. Normally they're found in a specific area down on the mainland Hoenn. But this little guy looks like he was owned before, but then thrown out. They're not very strong, these Pokemon. Nobody much bothers with them- and I've never seen one before 'til now, either."**

Wallace was quiet, and hours later, when Juan came back to check on the Feebas, Wallace was still there, sitting in front of the tank, watching the Pokemon sleep.

He wasn't sure what captivated him about that tiny little Fish Pokemon. Maybe it was the fact that nobody really bothered with it, that it was thrown away because it was a little slow and different and weak, and that they were very far and between, that got him.

Maybe it was because he saw a little bit of himself in that Pokemon.

 **"You're not so skittish around him, even though you don't much trust Pokemon- and it you, even though it don't must trust us humans,"** Juan observed, after the third day, when Feebas was feeling a little better, **"Maybe you should keep him company while he heals, in the water. It's not deep, that water, and you need to learn to swim, anyhow. That was a part of the deal we made, back in the hotel. How about it?"**

It took a while for Wallace to be coaxed into and then coached in the water, but by the end of the day, Juan had to coax the boy out of the water and to supper. It seemed his phobia of water, and then his fear of Pokemon, had decreased in the presence of that tiny little fish.

And what of Feebas? What did it think of all of this?

Well, Wallace wasn't the only with a new friend.


	14. 14

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

 **"You're sure?"**

 _"Yes."_

 **"You do realize that I'm not going to help you with it- I'm not taking any responsibility over this. If something goes wrong, or awry, it's your responsibility, not mine, to deal with it. You're okay with that, then, Wallace?"**

 _"Yes, sir."_

 **"Alright. You've got my permission to do this, then. Good luck, kid."**

Wallace took a breath as he stepped forward. In his hand was a Pokeball he had purchased himself, by saving pocket money given to him by Juan for various chores the other had asked that he complete for him.

He approached Feebas, which had been released back into Sootopolis lake. It hadn't left the area, and Wallace hadn't left the Pokemon, either, which had struck Juan as heartwarming. He had known all along, the moment that he saw the poor Fish Pokemon in Wallace's arms, that there was going to be something special between them.

How happy he was to find that he was.

 _"Alright... Feebas- I choose you!"_

And he throws the Pokeball at the Fish, and it was engulfed in bright red light for a moment before disappearing into the capsule.

As with any attempt to catch a Pokemon, here was no true guarantee that Feebas would want to be captured in the device, but Wallace wanted to try, nonetheless. He was not at the age yet where he can keep one and become a Pokemon Trainer, but he could always keep one as a pet, no matter the age he was.

Beep.

Ah, there was one. Two more to go. Juan watched the Pokeball closely, as Wallace watched nervously. No doubt he had been dreaming of this day since the moment he had decided that the Fish Pokemon was his to keep.

Beep.

One more to go. Wallace was positively shaking now. Juan watched calmly as the moments seem to slow before him, and then-

Beep.

Success. Wallace cried out in joy as he rushed up to the Pokeball and released his first Pokemon again, before giving the rough-skinned fish a huge hug. The Fish Pokemon looked so very happy with Wallace, smiling as much as a fish could smile.

And Juan?

Juan had to be smiling like a bloody idiot- but he didn't care at the moment. He went up to the two and congradulated them on on a job well done, and Wallace's words of thanks and amazement saw only to make his smile grow wider and wider on his broad face.

Why? Oh, it was only a small bit, but Juan saw something that Wallace wouldn't realize for a long time coming. What was it?

A little something called progress.


	15. 15

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

It was a very exciting day for Wallace. For several weeks now, he had heard whispers, whispers of Juan and how powerful he and his Pokemon are, how beautiful they are in battle and in contests. He hadn't yet witnessed him as a Coordinator, but due to circumstances beyond Juan's control, Wallace now had the chance to witness one of many battles of Juan's as Hoenn League Champion.

Juan had given him a very lengthy lecture, firm and gentle, while he was preparing to leave.

 **"I've got my PokeNav on me at all times, even while I'm in Ever Grande and doing my own thing. Call me if you've got any sort of trouble. The ground rules are these; you're not to leave the house, you're not to go into any body of water besides the bath tub, and nobody, but nobody, is allowed in the house while I'm away. If that happens, call the police, who're already on emergency call to begin with on that PokeNav I've given you, and then call me- after escaping through the back. As a fair warning, too, Wallace, I've got an Elder watching the house, too, so no funny business while I'm out. I should only be gone for no more than twelve hours from when I leave- that'll be midnight tonight. There's two cold meals prepared for you in the fridge, and as always, help yourself to anything in the fridge; make sure you clean up your mess- if you don't, you'll be pulling extra chores for a month. Anything more than that time frame, though, and the Elder has my trust and my permission to collect you from here and take you to the Pokemon Center; they've an extra room all nice and tidy for you, just in case. Got all that, kid?"**

Wallace had given a nod, and with a final check to the locks, windows, and any other feasible place where intruders could have possibly gotten in, Juan had departed, with a few more words, likely to ease his own aching conscience for leaving his adopted charge alone-

 **"Sorry about the suddenness of all this, but when duty calls, I can't just say no- especially not after Drake kicked up the heard-to-hell racket he did, after losing to this upstart new challenger..."**

And now, a few hours later, the blue-haired boy and his Feebas (comfortably resting in a large, movable aquarium Wallace had purchased for times just like these, so his friend could join him wherever about the house that he went) had sat down in front of the television set, ready to watch Juan in action for the very first time in their lives.

After announcing the challenger, Juan appeared. In his Champion's cloak, clean and pressed suit and tell-tale blue, long overcoat, he seemed like a king to Wallace. He chose his first Pokemon, as did the challanger, and the battle began.

It was a long fight, well-fought by both the Champion and his challenger. Wallace noted how calm and composed Juan was, even under the threat of losing his title. He was so much different now than he ever was while in Wallace's company; this Juan was more abrupt, so much more terrifying, powerful and strong; elegant and so much like the powerful sea that he commanded within his Pokemon.

And when the final blast of water screamed goodbye to his enemy, Juan strode over to his challenger and bade them a good battle. What he said never left Wallace's mind and stayed with him for the rest of his life.

 **"What a most powerful, most amazing young challenger you are. What matters most here is not my triumph; nor the loss- but the so very shining bonds with your Pokemon that you illustrated today with your elegant and beautiful tandems in our battle. Thank you, for that; I will forever remember it. You have certainly declared yourself one of the strongest in Hoenn- congratulations, and I hope to see you climb ever higher into the sky. Don't mourn today's loss as a failure; be happy that it happened, and learn from today- if you can find the strength to do that, I promise that it will propell you to victory over me, and any other, in the future."**

And then, it was over and Juan bowed to the audience, returned his still-standing Walrein, called Blotch, to his Pokeball, and disappeared back to the Hall of Champions, leaving Wallace in stunned amazement for hours afterward.

Returning before the projected time found Wallace still contemplating the newscast about the battle. Juan was startled to see the boy still wide awake, awaiting his return.

 **"Wallace, shouldn't you be in bed? Is something the matter?"**

Wallace turned.

 _"I wanted to congratulate you. That was- a really good battle."_

Anyone could come up to him, at any time of the morning, noon, or night, and congratulate him for whatever reason. They could be doing it in good fun, or with the intent to flatter; or any other myriad of reasons that made what they had said worthless and mean very little to the Champion.

The older man gave a laugh and pulled the boy closer, ruffling his hair.

 **"Thanks,"** Said he, **"Thanks a lot. Means a lot, coming from you, Wallace."**

But this time, hearing that meant something for Juan. Why?

Because, now, It was his son telling him so.


	16. 16

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

His name was Drake, and Wallace isn't very sure that he likes him too much.

He was a Dragon Tamer- one of the best, according to Juan- and he was a tall, skulking man with graying hair, what seemed to be a scowl permanent written on his thin, narrowed face, and an always predatory look in shadowed, narrowed dark eyes.

" **He's been a friend of mine since before you were even thought of, kid,"** Was Juan's explanation, **"We've been close friends since we met as kids; he's pulled me through the worst times I've ever had, and I've done the same for him, too. He's my best friend and there ain't nothing that can take that away from us. I hope you'll find a friend like that, Wallace, someday soon."**

It was a lovely, heartwarming statement, sure, but that wasn't quite Wallace's concern.

He didn't know what to make of the way Drake looked at his guardian- as though he were seeing someone he could just eat up right away, with no regrets. He didn't know what to think, when they worked in perfect sync with each other, whether it be on the battlefield, or just in the kitchen preparing a snack or a meal. He didn't understand what about their prolonged stares whenever one of them left the room to go do something or other, or what to say about how often Drake came and left his and Juan's home.

Most of all, though, he didn't understand the pain that crept into Juan's expression when Drake left.


	17. 17

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

The Champion of the Hoenn Region had a great many responsibilities, and so, more often than not and more often than Juan would care to admit, after the initial six months following his adoption, Juan would have to leave Wallace all by himself. It wasn't too bad, honestly; it was much better than being surrounded by people who could hurt him, but even with Feebas by his side, it was still incredibly lonely. After being given permission and a stern, concerned word from the Elder, the blue-haired young boy would wander about the cave systems, looking for interesting things, people, and Pokemon, and more than once dedicating days to collecting trash that was left by inconsiderate tourists who visited Sootopolis daily.

One day, in a beautiful cove that he had made into his unofficial secret base, Wallace came across another boy.

This boy was a little taller than he was, he wore a dusty black suit and trousers, with a purple-and-crimson tie tied elegantly just below his collar. His hair was silver, and it shimmered in the sunlight that lit up the entire marble cave, as though it could be on fire. He also had a dark blue, one red-eyed Pokemon with him, floating above his head and looking quite menacing to him when it noticed him standing there, behind his trainer.

The mystery Pokemon gave a cry, starling the other boy. He jumped, and tools and rocks fell out of his hands. He yelped and a screeching sound came out of his mouth, and then he turned, looking startled out of his serene silence that Wallace had disrupted with his intrusion.

" _I'm Ste- hey! W-wait!"_

But before he could really speak, Wallace, frightened of this strange boy and his terrifying-looking Pokemon, fled the scene, interrupting whatever it was that the silver-haired boy was going to say.

He didn't think that he would see him again after that, but he would.


	18. 18

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

"Kid, this is Mr. Joseph Stone. He's the owner and CEO of Devon Corporation, the primary scientific research company in the Hoenn Region, and the fastest growing technological enterprise in the world. His son's a little bit older than you– that's him there. Why don't you show him up to your room, get to know each other a little, while me and Devon catch up awhile?"

And that's how Wallace ended up seeing that boy from the cove again.

"I– I'm Steven Stone. I remember you, from the cove... You ran away. Remember? Did my Beldum scare you? I promise it's friendly! Beldum wouldn't hurt a soul!"

The silver-haired boy hardly breathed as he spoke, attempting to explain himself away before Wallace could even think of something to say, as they both sat up in his bedroom, himself on the bed and Steven sitting at the desk, arms crossed as he leaned back in his seat.

"I promise, look."

Wallace jumped when a red light flashed, and then suddenly, the same frightening Pokemon appeared, the one with the single grey body, the spikes at the end, and the haunting red eye. He flinched when Beldum– that was the name Steven had told him, wasn't it?– came a bit closer.

Beldum stopped in its tracks, and Steven stood up slowly.

"I don't know why you're afraid, but... If you want, I could return Beldum to its Pokeball."

Wallace looked up, and saw that Steven did not look offended. He seemed understanding enough, and was also smililng slightly. He offered a hand.

"...Or you could pet him. I mean, he's not furry, more like a small hunk of steel– "

Beldum gave out an offended cry, and Wallace blinked at it. Because Steven was here, talking him through it in his calming, quiet voice, Beldum didn't seem so frightening anymore. In fact, the blue-bell Pokemon looked kind of cute, now that Wallace had a moment to calm himself and really look at it.

And Steven spoke so fondly of his Pokemon, too. Like Wallace did about Feebas whenever Juan or a visitor gave him the time of day to speak about his little friend.

"Can I... Is it really okay?" He asks, shyly, "Is it okay if I pet your Beldum?"

Steven smiled, and Wallace swore that his smile lit up the whole world.


	19. 19

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

 **"...The hell did you do to your hair, boy?"**

It was one of those many times where Drake had appeared in the home in Sootopolis, but Juan had not yet come in; though, he had called just a few moments ago, saying he would be back soon enough. Wallace had just come down the stairs.

 _"I... Um, braided it, sir."_

It had been over a year since Wallace had met the Dragon Tamer, but he still didn't feel quite comfortable when alone with him. There was something off about the man, the way he sauntered about, the way he spoke, and the way he looked at Wallace as though he were out-of-place in his life and the life of Juan, the Champion of Hoenn.

At his soft answer, Drake just snorted rudely–

 **"It looks to me like somethin' made your head its' nest."**

Wallace blinked at him, not knowing what to say. He shyly bit his lip. Drake barks in amused laughter and beckons the boy toward him, and that was why, twenty minutes later when Juan came through the door, he found the Dragon Master braiding his adopted sons' long, blue hair.

"You always were good with your hands, Drake. I remember when you did that for me, when we were his age," Juan commented, when Wallace stood and admired the long tail hanging off of the top of his head. Drake stood up. "What do you say to Drake, kiddo?"

 _"T-thank you, Master Drake,"_ Wallace responded, immediately, looking up at the Dragon Master. _"I didn't know you knew how to do this."_

 **"People can surprise you,"** Drake responded, **"When you give 'em the chance to. I've seen the way you walk on nails around me. Just a damn waste of your time. Unlike my kin, I don't bite."**

Wallace starts as Drake stands up.

 **"You don't gotta be scared of everyone who's around you. Take it from someone like me. I'm a scary-lookin' guy, but I'm the scary-lookin' guy who just braided your hair. See? Like I said. People can be damn surprising at times. So try to remember that, eh, kid? I'm here to help you, not hurt you– just like Juan, and that's a promise.** "

And just like that, Drake the Dragon Tamer wasn't so scary.


	20. 20

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

It started with a cough. A wet, rasping, gasping cough that caused Juan to look at him with heavy concern every single time that the blue-haired child coughed. It was the kind of cough that the dying had, the kind that he's heard before– the kind that sent shivers up his spine every time he heard it.

He'd ask, every single time.

"Hey, you okay, kid?"

Wallace would only give a brave smile, nod, before hurrying out of the room. Juan could hear him up the stairs, in his bedroom; everywhere, he could hear that cough. After it continued more than two days, he began to hear those gasping coughs in his restless sleep.

Looking back, he should have immediately taken the boy to the doctor. Whatever Wallace said, however much he tried to avoid him; he should have taken immediate responsibility to make sure that he was okay. That nothing was wrong.

Because something _was_ wrong. But it wasn't until that day that he understood how wrong it was.

"Master Juan! Master Juan– Master!"

He had been doing something – he couldn't remember what he was doing. He could have been reading the paper, he could have been making lunch, he could have been facing a challenger in the Gym– he didn't remember. All he remembered was Steven Stone, how pale and frightened the small boy was...

He looked disheveled; his knees were scraped and bruising, his shirt was ripped, and his hands were cut up badly. It looked like he had gotten into some kind of scuffle. Juan was out of his seat before he noticed something that made his entire being go cold.

"Where's Wallace?"

"I– Master, something happened– he started coughing, and– and Arceus, there was blood! He collapsed and I didn't know what to do– I can't move him! I ran as fast as I could– I got here as soon as I can! Please, sir, I think he needs a doctor!"

Juan's heart had jumped into his throat.

"Take me to him, boy. Let's go– we're going right now."

He didn't remember the last time he ran so fast. Steven led him to that underground cove. They were followed by Pokemon Rangers that Juan had signaled as he and Steven ran past them. Including Steven and himself, there were four of them who found Wallace.

Years and years later still, the scene woke him in his darkest nightmares.


	21. 21

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

"The doctor said... He said Wallace won't be up for a while. He got fluid in his lungs that they gotta clear through some kinda surgery. It's a sickness that he's already had, accordin' to what little medical history I have. Something that happened when he was little, before I found him... They said he'd live. It's gonna be alright, Steven. Arceus, it might take a while, but he'll be alright."

Juan had been waiting impatiently for the doctors for almost five hours. He had already called Drake; the Dragon Master was on his way, suspending any League business until further notice. Mr. Stone was also notified; he was also on his way, both to pick up Steven and to speak to Juan himself.

Meanwhile, Juan comforted Steven. He had made his fondness for the blue-bell silver-haired boy clear; and while Mr. Stone didn't approve... Well, Juan hardly cared what he thought on the matter. He was hardly there to begin with.

"I'm sorry," Steven sobbed into his coat, "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have made him come! I should've let him stay inside! I'm sorry, it's all my fault– "

"No, boy, you listen to me, now."

Juan interrupted Steven, kneeling down, arms still around the small figure who had latched onto his coat and wouldn't for the life of him let go. He looked up, tears and snot trailing down his face. Lips trembling, he nodded; indicated that he was listening. Juan continued speaking, firmly but gently; he had learned through Wallace how to soothe children. Steven was no exception.

"Listen. What happened wasn't your fault. Wallace got sick because his body ain't healthy. He's had a rough time of it, my kid. He wasn't treated right. He's payin' for that now... But, look. He's going to be okay. I swear he will. You just watch– our Wallace ain't going to be beat so easily."

Steven wiped at his eyes, sniffing loudly. Juan smiled at him and patted his head, before rubbing his back. He felt the tension beginning to leave his small body. A soft chuckle escapes him.

"The pair of you," He says, softly, shaking his head, "The pair of you are kids enough for me."


	22. 22

**SUNSHINE** in the **RAIN**

In the Hoenn Region, there existed two rivalries that were known only to the older folks...

One of these rivalries was the kind that every Pokemon Trainer striven for; the kind you read about in the tales of the great legends who had written their stories in the very stars in the skies – the kind every ten-year-old dreamed of being the night before they stepped out into the real world at last, their first partner by their side. This kind of rivalry was one born of mutual respect and battles hard won and lost together; this one was one that carved scars into skin with telling, and one of joys so pure and blessed, that one would swear Arceus himself created, simply to remind humankind that there was some small hope left when the final candle burned dim.

And the other?

Well, it was quite the opposite.

A rivalry born of hatred and contempt; one that existed for one purpose, and exactly one purpose only; to prove your strength and might and power and dominance over the other player. To crush them and their Pokemon with the weight of the world and smother them, taking their place over his rival and declaring his victory with a battle cry that would make all who heard it bow.

Juan Amos Tarott had experience with both of these rivalries.

It was the first that he had learned to love from a young, rather tender little age, when he was shouldering the burden of a broken family.

It was the second that brought forth rare, so very rare bitterness and hatred from his very soul. Instead of calm waters, his spirit danced with hurricanes that rocked his world with sprays of like-blood scarlet and typhoons that left him light-headed and dizzy.

It was the second that he felt, and was reciprocated by, one Devon Stone.

"Must I remind you, old man," The older, blue-bell silver-haired man growled, while Steven, Juan's beloved adopted grandson, cowered behind him, "You are not to endanger my son, using your freak of a kid. Stay away from Steven. I won't have him corrupted by you."

"You're a fool, Devon," Juan snapped back, causing Steven to flinch backward at the pure venom in his voice, "You're a damned fool. It wasn't I who came to him, but he to me– to my son. If you keep holding him back like this, you'll only cause him to leave you, in the end. Just like– "

"Don't you bring _her_ into this, you snake!"

And so they traded blows like this, continuing and continuing until little Steven Stone could bear it no longer and tore from his father's vice-like grip and ran away.

Juan would have gone after him, but Devon stopped him.

"Stay away from my son, old man," He spat at him, "Or else."

Or else what, really. Juan never found out what would happen, because at that moment, Devon turned and stomped away, leaving him alone. Well, at least for a moment, for just then...

"Master Juan? ...Wallace is awake now. He wants to see you."


	23. 23

**SUNSHINE in the RAIN**

The boy looked awful. He was pale as snow, shivering in his cucoon of blankets. He was wired to many different machines, machines to measure his heartbeat, to check his temperature, to feed him the nutrients he needed to fight off this dangerous sickness... It broke Juan's heart to see the kid in such a bad way. He sat down, and pressed a hand onto his adopted son's shoulder.

Wallace turned his head slowly toward him, blinking at him wearily. His eyes were glazed over and misty with exhaustion and the painkillers that had been pumped unceremoniously into his small body.

 _"Master?"_

His voice was soft and disbelieving, as though he couldn't believe Juan had taken the time of day to come and see him in this hospital, where the terrible scents of blood, antiseptic and death were never far away...

Juan felt his heart constrict slightly, and he had to remind himself that Wallace, while a rather intelligent boy besides, had been abandoned before. He had been hurt before and to him, an adult simply being by his sick bedside was a wonder in its own right.

 **"I'm here, kid. Don't you worry."**

The blue-haired boy smiles weakly before closing his eyes. It seems lines of weariness had disappeared simply by Juan's presence. Wallace put a hand on Juan's, skin cold as ice, and soon he was deeply asleep, that same smile on his lips as he breathed easy.

Juan didn't move for hours after that.


	24. 24

**SUNSHINE in the RAIN**

Steven Stone was a peculiar boy. He knew this, and was proud of it. He was a rich, finely-bred boy in a continent where those things were rare and seen with the utmost reverence. His birth had been in the papers, in the news; and whenever he did something, so much as simply walk outside– they were there with blinking cameras and senseless questions that he had no answers to.

He was also the heir to the Devon Corporation; and it seemed no question that he would one day take his father's business as his own and bring Devon, and the Hoenn Region, to greater still heights. And until just after his ninth birthday, he had been as excited as his father at the prospect of power and fame. It was just after his ninth birthday that he had met Wallace.

Wallace was a carefree spirit, apprenticed under one of the greatest Pokemon Masters of the previous generation, an artist and a budding Trainer. But above all... There was no one standing over his shoulder, bent-down and whispering into his ear–

 _This is what you're going to do. This is how you're going to do it. This is what you are going to be now. This is who you are going to be until the day you die._

Since meeting the strange, blue-haired boy, his father had become a distant, constant presence. He whispered about how Juan was an almost demonic presence, and his son, though not his biological spawn, was following in the cursed footsteps of his adopted father.

The silver-haired boy had visited Wallace the day before his sickly-looking friend was released from the hospital. His father and Juan had left the room to have a private conversation... He could hear the angry words and bitter comments of that behind the door, not even closed in their wake.

He looked towards Wallace again, trying to drown out the hate and anger between their fathers.

Wallace was smiling up at him from his soft, white cot. Steven sat down and shyly patted his hand. Wallace grabbed it and held it comfortingly, and he whispered, a sudden drastic turn from the dark thoughts that had nearly drowned him before.

 **"Let's still be friends, whatever happens. Promise?"**

 _This is what you're going to do. This is how you're going to do it. This is what you are going to be now. This is who you are going to be until the day you di–_

"Promise. I swear it, Wallace. No matter what."  
 _  
I'm going to do what I want to do,_ Steven decided, _And come whatever comes. I'm going to be whatever I want to be... And that is who I'm going ot be until the day I die._

And Wallace would be right there, a light in front of him, never wavering.


	25. 25

**SUNSHINE in the RAIN**

 **"Where's the kid?"**

Drake had entered the house at the topmost crag of Sootopolis mere moments before, shoving past Juan in an effort to get inside, to escape the pouring rain. Juan gave a chuckle and closed, then locked the door behind him. Dripping with rain, he followed Juan into the sitting room and the two sat together.

 _"He's asleep. Been tired. We just got back from Lilycove this morning."_

The Dragon Tamer nodded and then shook his head. Juan noticed the tired lines across his face, aging him far more than what should have been. The Hoenn Region's current Champion frowned.

 _"What's wrong?"_ He asked, causing his childhood friend to look up warily, _"You're upset."_

 **"Yeah, I am. At you. Look,"** He added, before Juan could interrupt him, **"Look, your kid needs you, okay? He's a handful, and you're killing yourself, trying to do everything for him and then looking after Hoenn all by yourself. You got to prioritize, Juan, and right now, let me tell you– you're choosing wrong."**

Juan didn't know what to say. He knew exactly what Drake was saying; it had been a thought that had ran like an irritating mouse inside his head since the day he had taken Wallace to the hospital. He put his head in his hands and then sighed heavily.

 _"Yeah, I know. What'd you want me to do, then, Drake?"_

Drake smirked, and leaned forward in a conspiratorial sort of way, immediately causing a shiver to run down his spine. He knew whatever Drake was about to say, it would change his world, Wallace's world, and Drake's world forever. And perhaps, as they knew it, it would change the Hoenn region, too. Without meaning to, Juan also leaned forward, and then Drake spoke again.

And this is what he said to Juan, that rainy, Sootopolis night, as Wallace slept soundly upstairs...

 **"Let me take your place as Champion."**


	26. 26

**SUNSHINE in the RAIN**

Water and Fire. Two base intergal elements; without which, the world as they knew it would collapse. Together; they could save and destroy worlds, build them up and crush them down. Against each other, as nature does at times, it was Water that must triumph; as it puts Fire out into a smoking pile of ash.

That was simple. That was natural. That was predicable.

 **"Life,"** Juan said, that billowing white cloak that had adorned his shoulders for as long as Wallace had known him, for the last time, **"Defies nature. I leave my home, the Hoenn Region, in good hands- the hands of Fire. Good thing, too; sometimes it takes a harsher grip to protect my people than I have. You'll see me around; I'm not going anywhere."**

In his goodbye speech to the press, in which he would transfer the white cloak to the newly-crowned Champion, who had beaten him in a fierce battle that would be spoken of for generations, Juan had spoken of healing, moving forward, and a promise to continue his work for the people of Hoenn.

Following his speech, the shining white cloak had been given away. Placing it around Drake's shoulders had been one of the most humbling experiences Juan had ever had the fortune to undergo. His closest friend for what was his entire life, the boy who swore to touch the sun in flight; the man who had saved Juan from his past.

The title truly _belonged_ to him. At least, that's what Juan told him that night, in a moment alone. What neither man knew was that young Wallace and Steven stood up the stairs, listening in. Neither knew that his next words would inspire one of the greatest generations of Pokemon Trainers the region had ever seen, each striving to become the very best, like no one ever was.

 _"The title doesn't belong to anyone. That's what you've forgotten, Juan. It simply is. You took it to change the world you lived in; to inspire the next one. A leader isn't one who clings to power. You take it in, and then you give it back. Give and take, like the ocean and the land. Balance. That's the keyword here, the word the Hoenn Region's gonna learn someday. Balance is what balance is. Learn it. Live it."_

And as the two great friends laughed following a snippy- **"Look who's talking down to who!"** \- retort from Juan, Wallace couldn't help but wonder at both of them.

Perhaps, one day, Wallace thought, as he and Steven scampered back to his room on that topmost crag of Sootopolis, He'd have a friend like that.


End file.
